F5 Networks this week debuted the 4200v version of its BIG-IP line of application delivery controllers -- specialized hardware designed to help lessen the load imposed on network-based services -- significantly bolstering the transaction handling and capacity over its current high-end box.

The BIG-IP 4200v is powered by a single quad-core Xeon processor and can handle 850,000 L7 requests per second, along with 300,000 L4 connections, while providing 10Gbps throughput. It also does this while consuming 95 W of power and putting out 324BTU/hour of waste heat -- most BIG-IP appliances near the 4200v's level of performance are far less efficient in terms of both energy use and heat production.

It's also the most powerful 1U BIG-IP device that F5 offers -- providing the ability to handle more than twice the volume of L7 requests and about three times the number of transactions per second, compared to the company's next-best 1U product.

"The 4200v is a purpose-built hardware device with the processing power to support multiple application delivery services, offload SSL processing, and efficiently scale on a unified solution platform. With competitors, organizations would need to deploy multiple point products to add [application delivery networking] services, further increasing infrastructure complexity and costs," Jason Needham, F5 vice president of core traffic management and cloud solutions, said in a statement.

The device also contains 16GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, and features eight Ethernet ports and, optionally, two 10G fiber ports. As stated, it fits in a standard 1U mount and weighs in at 20 pounds.